A Fresh Take on Branch Jewelry Displays

Draping lovely baubles on a branch from the backyard isn't a new idea—we've seen it done fabulously in interiors before. If you like the way it looks but have been wondering how to make it more sleek rather than DIY, we've got the how-to tips from Austin's creative maven Gadora Wilder.

Gadora's sleek and professional tips will leave you with a jewelry display holder that evokes nature and is ultra-functional—without leaving little bits of bark in your necklace chains. Follow her easy tips to create a DIY piece that will look like you bought it from an expensive store. The instructions from Gadora:

Instructions1. Start by pilfering a few long, straight branches which will form the base of the display, then locate a few spindly ones. The more twists and turns your sprigs sport, the more options for hanging jewels later. Here, Gadora repurposed a neighbor's discarded sage bush branches. Once a few select pieces were pulled into the shop, it took a few minutes to visually "set" them in place. Keep in mind: twigs that face up give more secure spots to hang your jewels and twigs that flow away from the wall allow easy-access to your new creation.2. Remove the bark with a standard utility knife. The pruners make clipping unwanted sprigs a snap. The end of each branch was sanded to make a smooth end cap.3. Once all branches were bark-free/knifed sufficiently, Gadora sanded each one to remove any knife marks, finishing with a smooth surface. 4. It's best to stain the pieces individually rather than wait until the jewelry display is put together. Two coats of stain were applied, and allowed to dry sufficiently between coats.5. To ensure the horizontal offshoots fit snug against the vertical base twig, Gadora cut a small notch into the larger stick... leaving just enough room to snug the pieces together.6. Working from the bottom up, Gadora wound copper wire around each glued "joint" to add security and visual interest. (Key to making it pretty: work your wire magic on two separate twigs, practicing the best way to wrap the wire around your branches).7. Hang some jewerly and you're done!